Xsysinfo will "clear" memory on your iPad for suspended apps. (There are other apps that do the same thing.) However, keep in mind a couple of points. First, if you're using an iPad 2 (with 512K memory) the chances of 'filling it up' is considerably less than with an iPad 1 (256K). Second, suspended apps are not using CPU cycles. They take up very little memory (just a footprint indicating their current state) so "closing" them is unlikely to do almost anything to improve performance. Third, the OS is designed to deal with this issue. In fact, it's one of the main tasks of an OS. You're unlikely to have a better idea of what should be "closed" than the OS.

Finally, although I've been using Xsysinfo since I first got my iPad 2 (It's an OCD thing) I've noticed that since the upgrade to iOS 5.0.1 I'm very unlikely to have memory tied up in suspended apps. Checking randomly I often found that I had only about 10 mg of "free" memory when I was running 4.3.5. Since upgrading to 5.0.1 I typically have about 180 mg free.

All in all, the desire to "close" apps is rampant in both the Android environment and (to a lesser extent) with iOS. In general, though, apps that enable this sort of thing are like "close door" buttons on many elevators. They don't do anything except give the user an illusion of control.

Seriously now, does the iPad battery drain faster with lots of apps open and running in the background?

Cheers
AC

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Apple's approach to "multitasking" means that very few apps can "run in the background." You can listen to recorded music or an internet source while you do other things. You can be notified of incoming mail if you set the iPad to poll for new mail periodically. But that's about it. (This is why, by the way, that Android fans sneer at the notion that iOS supports "multitasking.") What you think is "running" in the background is not. Those apps are suspended and not using any cpu cycles. The effect on the battery is next to nothing.

If you doubt this and you're willing to give up the use of your iPad for a couple of days, turn off notifications, charge your iPad to 100% and leave it alone (asleep) for 24 hours. Then do the same after opening and using many apps and leaving notification on. You'll find there is virtually no difference in battery drain.

Apple's approach to "multitasking" means that very few apps can "run in the background." You can listen to recorded music or an internet source while you do other things. You can be notified of incoming mail if you set the iPad to poll for new mail periodically. But that's about it. (This is why, by the way, that Android fans sneer at the notion that iOS supports "multitasking.") What you think is "running" in the background is not. Those apps are suspended and not using any cpu cycles. The effect on the battery is next to nothing.

If you doubt this and you're willing to give up the use of your iPad for a couple of days, turn off notifications, charge your iPad to 100% and leave it alone (asleep) for 24 hours. Then do the same after opening and using many apps and leaving notification on. You'll find there is virtually no difference in battery drain.

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Great answer...guess this was a myth in my head is now gone

Regarding testing I just trust your word...being 24h without the iPad might be a bit too much

If you doubt this and you're willing to give up the use of your iPad for a couple of days, turn off notifications, charge your iPad to 100% and leave it alone (asleep) for 24 hours. Then do the same after opening and using many apps and leaving notification on. You'll find there is virtually no difference in battery drain.

Click to expand...

Hmm. I can't go without using my Ipad but I don't use the ipod touch often. I will turn off wifi, notifications and such then open a bunch of apps then leave it. I will post the result in a few days. Wait that won’t work. It’s a G2 touch. I will move my SIM to my Xperia play and try it with my iPhone 3GS.

The reason I asked originally is that since the update to 5.0, various apps namely 'sky+' and 'dual browser' continually crash which they didn't before, by closing all the multitasking apps and only open either of the above they will run ok. From the foregoing it looks more like an app problem, any other ideas ?

The reason I asked originally is that since the update to 5.0, various apps namely 'sky+' and 'dual browser' continually crash which they didn't before, by closing all the multitasking apps and only open either of the above they will run ok. From the foregoing it looks more like an app problem, any other ideas ?

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Definitely sounds like an app problem. At worst iOS should be able to unload suspended apps to provide enough memory for the apps you mentioned to run properly. Do you have an iPad 1 by any chance? There's some anecdotal evidence that the 256k memory in the original iPad and the slower cpu may have a bit more difficulty managing memory than the iPad 2 hardware. But even that should be rare. If I were you, I'd contact the app developer and report the problem. I strongly suspect that's where the solution lies.

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